Earlier this week Ookla teased their revised and updated Speedtest.net app for Android, and now it's live in the Play Store for anyone to download. The go-to network test for end users and reviewers alike has been completely redesigned, with a new interface, new options, and the ability to remove the advertising with a $.99 in-app purchase. That's a nice perk for frequent users.

The old interface wasn't exactly awful, but it had been going for several years without any sort of refresh. In addition to the new visuals you can also view your results on a map, which should help you get a good idea of the high and low spots for your networks. Most of the functionality from the previous version of the app seems to be intact. You can export your results in a .CSV file or share them directly using the Android share menu.

Best of all (and perhaps the most-requested addition), Speedtest.net now scales properly on tablets and high-resolution devices. Well, sort of - the app background, menu, and map views use the entire screen, but the network speedometer and other UI elements are still kind of squashed to the center of the screen on tablets. The ability to view the app in landscape has been removed for some reason. Still, it's a pretty great update overall - Ookla's got my dollar.

It's a thing commemorating the death of that evil-looking (lol) cat
(August 8th 1997 - January 13th 2013)
He lived quite a lot anyway

CJ

Man oh man do I love me some "Completely revamped UI" updates in the What's New section :)

efan

i can't use the app. it wont allow me to click the being test button. wtf.

Denoas

That may have to do with your DPI settings. I checked this by going back to stock DPI and I could click the button. Go back to a non-stock DPI for your device and you can't click it. Well done, Ookla. Best update ever. /s

efan

yeah fuck that. i'm not going through all that trouble for one little app that really shouldnt have that issue to begin with. i was all ready to reward the update by buying the ad free version. i guess they still havent learned how to scale for different screen dpi

Garrett

But... it sounds like you're the one who broke it, not Ookla.

efan

there really is no reason why changing DPI would make an app not work. no other app i have has an issue with it. it's just a poorly coded app.

Did they remove the ability to see if your cellular speed tests were via 3G it 4G in the results tab? Seems so, or perhaps I just missed it?

Darkbotic

Why the new permission?
"Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage"

Abe Lincoln

Guessing for the .CSV export of results? The one I'm wondering about is the accounts permission to "Read Google service configuration", don't see that very often... from what I gather it has to do with location and maps but it still sounds like a pretty broad permission. Anybody else know?

http://riteshtripathy.wordpress.com/ Ritesh

Storing and deleting results perhaps? But that feature was there on the (really) old version too. I can't think of anything else that would require USB storage permission.

http://riteshtripathy.wordpress.com/ Ritesh

And still using Gingerbread assets... all those cats but no time to update to 4.0+ assets. Way to go Ookla! It only took you 3 years but at least you did something. Should be happy with that, I guess..

Android Developer

i know right?

as a developer, i can tell you it's very very easy - you just raise a number that represents the android version you target to.

Exactly. I'm not a developer but I know a fair bit about the internals of building an app. The fact that it really doesn't take any effort to update to the 4.0+ dialog UI leaves me perplexed as to why some developers keep doing this! Its lazy, sloppy and disappointing.

2. not targetting the latest version of android, so the dialog style remains as on older android versions, with the buttons switched.

3. very slow when switching between tabs, much slower than previous version. maybe because of the fancy animations.

4.when testing, it keeps getting the location from the GPS. it even checks for location after it finished the test (though it stops after a while). i'm pretty sure it should be enough for it to know in which city i am instead of the exact location...

Do not lower your standards and give credit where it isn't due, AP....this rewrite sucks. It's slow, laggy, awful colors, still doesn't scale right, and forces portrait on tablets. Do NOT hand over your money for this crap.

abobobilly

Damn. Why these devs don't follow google's new design guidelines. We are about to get 4.4 and still same f*cking iOS copy apps.

Why don't these people learn man? :

selonmoi

Hello back button?

When I've navigated three screens deep into your app, pressing back should not dump me back out to my launcher. Please don't make me hunt for your ugly custom controls (will it be an arrow on the left or an "x" on the right today?); that's what the back button is for.

rapperman

Too little too late for Ookla. I gave up on them a few weeks ago after searching for a replacement for their seemingly abandoned android app which could never nail down my location and provide a server close to me for the actual test. This is what I now use: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agence3pp

It's aesthetically pleasing and gets the job done. Allegedly there were ways to trick Ookla into getter better results. Wouldn't know personally whether that is factual or not but this product supposedly cannot be manipulated.

darkNiGHTS

I still refuse to download a 12mb file for a speed tester. I'm currently using Speed Checker and it's a 851KB download, much more reasonable.